Can you tell me if there is a link between sexual abuse in a male between the ages of 8 and 10 and gender identity disorder? Could sexual abuse cause this disorder and if so can you direct me to some articles that deal with just that sort of circumstance?
By -- Mar 16, 2022
Although we are uncertain as to what may cause gender dysphoria, I can say for certain that there is no reason to believe that sexual abuse at any age is responsible. I have worked with over 600 gender dysphoric individuals over the last 31 years and only a handful reported being abused as a child. In those cases the gender dysphoria the individuals experienced predated the abuse. Furthermore I have never read reports of sexual abuse being a determining factor. Recent evidence shows that the most probable cause is a congenital abnormality.
